Ladder.



No; 839,087. PATENTED lam-25, 1906.

. H. ADLBR.

7 1 LADDER.

APPLIUATION FILE]? 173.23. 190?.

WITNESSES INVENTOR- THE-NORRIS mz'rnu 50., wumunnu, D. c.

' UNITED S TES HENRY ADLER, on PIrTsBuRe, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO H. ADLER.

Tod whom it may cancer-71,:

PATENT" Orin on.

COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF PITTSBURG,PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPO- RATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

LADDER.

I Patented Dec. 25,1906.

Application filed February 23, 1906. erial No. 302,326.

Be itknown that I, HENRY ADLER, a resident of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State'of Pennsylvania, have inventeda new and usefullmprovement'in Ladders; and I do herebydeclare the follow:

g to be a-full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to ladders, and has special reference to the class of ladders shown in my application for United States Letters.

. -Patent filed August 12, 1905, Serial No.

The object of my invention is to provide for a cheap, simple, and effective form of a shelf to be used with such aladder and one I that can easily and quickly be attached and detached therefrom when desired.

My invention consists,.generally stated, in

the novel arrangement, construction, andv combination of parts, as hereinafter set forth and described, and particularly pointed out.

the claims.

To enable others skilled in the art to which ladder.

Like symbols of reference herein indicate like parts each of the figures of the drawings. i

The ladder proper illustrated in the drawings is generally formed of sheet-metal parts which are bent toshape and comprise the metallic front standards or side rails 1, on

which the steps 2 are attached in any suitable manner, and such steps are preferably formed of Wood. 'The side rails 1 have a "platform 3, preferably formed of wood, se-

cured at the top of the same, and on this plat- I form depend the metallic U-shaped clamping-pieces 4, which are secured thereto in anysuitable :manner and have the metallic rear supporting standards or legs 5 pivoted thereto, as at 4, and formed in channel shape.

Metallic bracing-bars 7, formed in channel shape, are connected to and are adapted to fit by their bent or flanged side edges 7 within the flanges 5, forming the hollow or grooved portion 5 ofthe legs 5, andvsuch bars have the inwardly-extending portions 7 thereon, which are connected together midway between said legs in any suitable manner. (Not shown.)

Extending across between'the legs 5 is the metallic cross-bar 8, which is formed in chan-' nel shape and has flanges 9 bent upwardly from its body'portion 8 for being riveted to the body portion 6 of said legs by the rivets 9 to hold the same-in place. The body portion' 8 of said cross-bar 8 is slit to form the ears or flanges 10, which are bentupwardly from said body portion, and thereby form openings 10 through said body portion.

The shelf is shown at 11 and comprises the I main supporting ortion 12, which is formed from sheet meta and is preferably corrugated to stiffenthe same, while depending from its sides and outer edge is a flange 12. The rear edge of said portion 12 is bent to form a tubular portion 13, Within which is confined a rod 13, the ends of which are adapted to fit Within holes 10, formed in the flanges 10 in order to hinge the shelf 11 on the cross-bar 8. Passing pivotallythrough holes 12 formed in the depending flange 12, and on each side of the portion 12 is the.

supporting-rod 14, which extends under said portions 14 thereon. These depending portions 14 have a hooked portion 14 bent at their lower ends, to which a looped portion 15 on the upper ends of the loose rods 15 are connected to form the loose joints 16, such rods 15 being adapted to fit within the openings 17, formed'by the-flanges 5 on the legs 5 and by the like flanges on the bracing-bars 16, resting upon the edge of the openings 17.

portion12 and has the angular or depending When the ladder is in its folded position or when it is desired to fold up the shelf 11, the supporting portion 12 can be raised on its hinged rod 13 within the holes 10 on the flanges 10, as is shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 2, which will allow the rod 14 to turn on its pivot-holes 12 and cause the depending and hooked portions 14 and 14 to assume substantially a vertical position, as well as allowing the hooked portions to move along through the openings 17, formed by the legs 5 and bracing-bars 7.

When it is desired to remove the shelf 11 from the ladder, all that is necessary is to move the hinge-rod 13 along the tubular portion 13 on the shelf, so that one end thereof is freed from one of the holes in the flanges 10, and then the other end can be freed from the o posite hole 10, thereby enabling such shelf to be taken out of the ladder. The shelf 11 can be easily replaced by inserting one of the ends of the rod 13 in one of the holes 10, and then such rod can be pushed through the tubular portion 13 and into the other hole 10 to hold the shelf in place.

It will be obvious that my improved form of a shelf for ladders is supported entirely by the rear or ladder-supporting legs, and it can have its main supporting portion formed of corrugated metal'and galvanized in order to strengthen and stiffen the same, while the other parts of the same can also be galvanized in order to rotect the same from rusting, &c. The shel as constructed is capable of sustaining great weight and can be easily and conveniently folded up when not in use or when the ladder is in its folded osition. It contains few parts, and none 0 the parts of the same are required to be separated-at any time, while it is also so constructed as to be strong and durable and not liable to become injured or impaired for its use and will not get out of order.

Various modifications and changes in the construction and design of the variousjparts of my improved ladd er-shelf may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a ladder, the combination with the sup orting-legs having openings therein, of a shef hinged on said legs, and jointed rods pivotally connected to said shelf and adapted .to fit within and be engaged by said openings for supporting said shelf in position.

2. In a ladder, the combination with the supporting-legs having openings therein, of a shelf hinged on said legs, rods pivotally connected to said shelf, and looped joints on said rods for forming portions for fitting within and engaging with said openings and for supporting said shelf in position.

3. In a ladder, the combination with the supporting-legs having openings therein, of a shelf having a movable rod thereon, rods pivotally connected to said shelf and adapted to fit within and be engaged by said openings for supporting said shelf in position, a crossbar on said legs, and flanges on said cross-bar having holes therein for said movable rod to hinge said shelf in place.

4. In a ladder, the combination with the supporting-legs having openings therein, of a shelf having a movable rod thereon, rods pivotally connected to said shelf and adapted to fit within and be engaged by said openings for supporting said shelf in position, a crossbar on said legs, and flanges bent out of said cross-bar and having holes therein for said movable rod to hinge said shelf in place.

In testimony whereof I, the said HENRY ADLER, have hereunto set my hand.

HENRY ADLER.

Witnesses:

- J. N. CooKE,

R. H. AXTHELM. 

